With so many great books in the series and another due out soon, it made sense to me to revisit book one, “Cruel Candy”. The book is an amazing introduction to Fred and Watson. It picks up as Winifred Page rolls into town, a fresh start after a divorce and sour business deal. She is looking to open a book store in a vacant retail property her parents own. Her first day doesn’t go so well. It turns out her storefront is a hot property and her candy store neighbors, sisters Opal and Lois were looking to expand their businesses and she is in the way. When Fred finds the dead body of one of the sisters trespassing in her own store she tumbles into a full-blown mystery in which the clues are candy, munchies inducing ‘edibles,’ and illegal pot-growing her basement. Town gossip paints a tawdry picture of the dead woman, but are any of the rumors surrounding her enough to kill for?

Fred is feisty, but her sidekick corgy, Watson steals the show. He has a nose for the best treats on Main Street and seems to know who of Fred’s fellow store owners will give up the juiciest gossip. Investigating a murder may not be the most polite way to meet your neighbors, but it is a wonderful way to introduce the reader to the backdrop of storefronts and the rich vibrant “characters” that inhabit Estes Park, Colorado. Fred’s family is quirky and colorful and adds just the right amount of seasoning to her character, both grounding her and motivating her. This is a classic small-town cozy that sets the tone for the series of books to come.

I received a complimentary evaluation copy of this book from the author. All opinions and insights are my own. ( )

When Winifred 'Fred' Page moves home to Estes Park, Colorado, it's because her business arrangement with her best friend came to a halt. Now she's decided to open her dream bookstore, the property given to her by her stepfather, Barry. When she tours the inside, she discovers the body of the baker next door, Opal. When the police suspect Barry of killing the woman, Fred knows that she - along with her corgi, Watson - need to step in and find a killer before Barry is incarcerated and her mother's heart broken. But can she do so without the killer finding her first?

Oh, dear. I had hopes for this series, with the cute corgi on the cover. However, those hopes were quickly dashed. Partly because I don't like drug use of any kind. (Personal and part of my people, so I am not explaining). There are other things to take to help you sleep. I use milk every night. Works like a charm! But trying to justify it here isn't helping me like this tale at all.

Then there's the fact that a 38-year-old woman, who's an ex-professor and ex-big business owner, would turn to jelly when an attractive man was around. Are we sure she's 38? Why is she acting like a teenager who got her first crush? Twice yet. Speaking of that, I absolutely ABHOR love triangles, which I've noted in many reviews. Even if it's eventually resolved, we would have to go through the excruciating term of her deciding who she wanted. No thank you.

Then there's another peeve of mine: the 'evil nemesis' which shows up right away in the female police officer. Why? You don't need an evil nemesis to write a good book. There are many out there that don't have them and are wonderful to read. So this is strike three for the book. But there are so many other things - her mother and Barry, whom couldn't find the bathroom if they needed it. They are both flaky and I would move far, far away to get away from either of them. Talk about annoying characters. The author also added things in the book that didn't have anything to do with the story, and it detracted from the mystery. You'll know what they are when you read it.

I also knew who the killer was the minute they stepped foot on the page. Maybe because I read a lot of mysteries, maybe because it was pretty obvious. This author obviously doesn't like women, since they were all written as strange, but the men were practically perfect. I really hate dinging authors on first books, and I try to give them a pass, but there is no way I will be reading any more of these in the future. Just no. ( )

First book in a new, to me, series. I enjoyed this quick and easy read. Introducing all the new characters and place...Fred and Watson are an interesting pair. ( )

pet, dogs, law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, small-business, small-town, family, cozy-mystery, murder-investigation*****

Nothing like going into what will be your new store and new life before dawn and finding the dead body of someone you only met the day before. And topping that off are a patrol cop with a very negative attitude, the police discovery that not only is there a basement but that it is a marijuana grow house, and an attractive police detective who hauls inoffensive step father off to jail. All before being in town twenty four hours! Let the sleuthing begin!
A nice comfortable read narrated by Angie Hickman.
Won in a giveaway! ( )

Who can resist a book that has a cute dog on the cover? I know I can't! I did end up having a very nice time with this story. It was a fun little cozy and I appreciated the fact that the cute dog on the cover had a strong presence throughout the story. I am so glad that the corgi on the cover got my attention because I really did enjoy this story.

Winifred, or Fred, has just moved to town along with her corgi, Watson. She has had a few problems in her life recently and is looking forward to starting over by opening a bookshop in town. Her mother and step-father live in town and actually own the building that she plans to open her bookshop in. When she introduces herself to the store owner next door, she doesn't get the reaction that she hopes for. That is just the start of her trouble since she will soon find a body inside the building she plans to open her store in.

I thought that the mystery in this cozy was very well done. I had no idea who the culprit was and I had a great time going along with Fred and Watson as they met the other shopowners. The story went in a couple of directions that I didn't see coming which added to the appeal. I loved the small-town setting and quirky characters. Fred and Watson made a great team!

This was the first time that I have had the chance to listen to Angie Hickman's narration and I was impressed. She did a great job with all of the character's voices and was able to bring the story to life. She used a very pleasant voice and I thought that the pacing was very well done. I would definitely listen to her narration work again in the future.

I would recommend this book to others. This was a fun little cozy that was able to keep me guessing. I definitely plan to read more this series very soon.

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the author/narrator via Audiobook Boom and have voluntarily left this review. ( )